Sweet and Tart Coffee Cake
My friend Laurie is so kind as to share her many successful cooking and baking experiences with me. When I don’t have the book with the recipe she used, she goes to the trouble of typing it up and emailing it to me. I am so grateful!
So, as you may have guessed, Laurie sent me this recipe after she made it over the holidays. It is based on a recipe published in the San Jose Mercury News in an article by Liz Scott. I love the balance of the sweet almond flavor with the slightly tart fresh cranberries in this recipe. It makes for quite a unique coffee cake!
For the Topping:
- unsalted butter
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/2 cup almonds
For the Cake:
- 1 cup flour
- 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, at room temperature
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 egg
- 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
- 1/2 teaspoon almond extract
- 1/2 cup sour cream
- 1 1/2 cups fresh (or frozen) cranberries
To Make the Topping:
- Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Butter a 9 inch round cake pan.
- Spread the almonds on a baking sheet and bake until they smell fragrant, 5-10 minutes.
- Remove the almonds and allow them to cool.
- Chop the almonds into small pieces.
- Spread the chopped almonds onto the bottom of the greased cake pan.
- Sprinkle the brown sugar over the almonds.
To Make the Cake:
- Whisk the flour, baking soda, baking powder, and salt in a small bowl until well combined, set aside.
- Beat the butter and brown sugar in a stand mixer with the paddle attachment until light and fluffy.
- Beat in the egg, then the sour cream, then the extracts, mixing well after each addition.
- Gradually stir in the flour mixture until it is all combined.
- Fold the cranberries into the batter with a spatula.
- Spread the batter evenly over the topping in the pan.
- Bake for 25-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.
- Remove from oven and cook cake for 15 minutes.
- Invert cake onto a plate.
January 10th, 2009 at 2:18 pm
As the person who ate about 50% of this coffee cake, I’d say this is one of Kristen’s best yet… It did well the next day too!
July 8th, 2009 at 3:10 pm
Will you make this the next time you’re in SC, please?
July 8th, 2009 at 3:27 pm
Yes m’am! Of course, you are welcome to come visit anytime and I’ll bake up whatever you like!